Chiara Spadafora - PhD in Mathematics, University of Trento

Abstract: 
Remote electronic voting is a multifaceted subject that cannot be fully addressed from a single perspective. The
design of a secure and effective remote e-voting system requires a careful balance between mathematical rigor,
robust information security measures, and usability considerations. These interconnected dimensions have been
analyzed to propose a comprehensive solution, called Vote App, that ensures both security and usability. Vote
App features linear vote counting and a novel approach to credential management that improves usability while
maintaining strong cryptographic guarantees. The protocol also includes a ballot encryption scheme tailored to the
Italian electoral law and supported by zero-knowledge proofs. On the system side, Vote App integrates OAuth
token management into the protocol and introduces the Commitment Access Token, a new security mechanism
that protects voter credentials and ensures the unlinkability between voters and their ballots.
In terms of threat modeling, the work adapts and extends STRIDE and LINDDUN to the specific context of evoting, introducing a coercion-aware adversary model and refined risk assessment techniques that are applied to
analyze the security of the proposed protocol.
Usability aspects are also addressed, including a glyph-based verification mechanism and a broader evaluation of
user interaction with cryptographic features, emphasizing their importance for real-world deployment.
Overall, the research aims to bring remote e-voting closer to reality by developing solutions that are both secure
and user-friendly.